Cash Plays

Elfrid Payton ($7,300) – Elfrid Payton and the Magic are the lucky beneficiaries of a matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on tonight’s small 3 game slate. For most of the year, I think it’s safe to say Payton was a boom/bust play on any given night. Lately, however, he’s provided remarkable consistency (24.6 is his lowest fantasy point total in his last 15 games). There is really no reason not to plug Elfrid into your lineups tonight as he goes up against potentially the worst defense in the entire league. The Nets have given up 47.7 fantasy points a game to point guards this season, so Payton will have ample opportunities to produce tonight at Barclays Center.

Devin Booker ($8,000) – Devin Booker’s price has sky-rocketed over the last week with his insane 91.6 fantasy points outing against the Celtics. However, he’s also posted 33+ fantasy points in the 3 games surrounding this contest, so he is providing a bit more consistentcy. With Eric Bledsoe shut down for the season, Booker has seen a crazy amount of usage, and that trend will continue tonight as he faces off with the Trail Blazers. You can basically count on him to throw up 20+ shots, and for a kid shooting 42.3% from the field this year that’s not bad odds. There isn’t a whole lot of options anywhere on this slate, but especially as shooting guard, so I think Booker will be a very popular play tonight when he takes the floor at the Moda Center.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (5,000) – Hollis-Jefferson has been incredibily consistent as of late, posting a low of 27.3 and a high of 32.4 fantasy points over his last 5 games. Priced at only $5k, he doesn’t even need to hit the low end of that in order to reach value, and he’ll be a popular pick in cash games tonight because of it. He’ll be going up against the Magic, a team that has given up the 8^th most fantasy points to small forwards all season. His success should continue at home tonight against them.

Aaron Gordon ($5,400) –A guy that I think will have a crazy high ownership tonight is Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic. He’s coming into tonight’s contest fresh of a 58.7 fantasy point outing against a good Boston Celtics team. It will be the second night of a back-to-back, though that shouldn’t scare you away from Gordon with no price increase and an even better matchup against an awful Nets team. Much like the point guard position, Brooklyn has given up the 2^nd most fantasy points to power forwards all season. Gordon should come out highly motivated after his game last night and be able to dominate their weak frontcourt en route to another great fantasy outing.

Nikola Vucevic ($8,300) – People should have plenty of salary leftover to pay up for Karl-Anthony Towns for today’s slate, but I still like Nikola Vucevic for cash games (I know, I know… another Magic player). Prior to Vucevic’s “bad” game last night (21.4 fantasy points), he had posted 35+ FP in 8 of his last 9. Because of this consistency, he’s the center I think I’m going to want in cash games tonight as he also gets a matchup with that weak Nets defense. Brooklyn is a bit better against centers, only giving up the 5^th most fantasy points in the league to that position. In his one game against them this year, Vucevic was able to put up 48 fantasy points in 31 minutes of action. He has another chance at this kind of success tonight and should easily reach value.

GPP Plays

Kris Dunn ($4,300) – Dunn has been a very intriguing player recently, seeing 30+ minutes in 2 games last week as he’s played alongside Rubio at the shooting guard position. In his last 4 games he has a low of 21.7 and a high of 32.4 fantasy points, which is fantastic production out of a guy priced at only $4,300. His matchup with the Kings is also ideal, as they’ve given up 50+ fantasy points a game to the point guard position over their last 10 contests. His court time seems pretty secure, and if this game turns into a blowout, don’t be surprised if the T-Wolves sit Rubio in the 4^th quarter and give Dunn some extra garbage time minutes.

Ben McLemore ($3,700) – Surprisingly, Ben McLemore has been the primary source of the Kings offense over the past 2 games. He’s put up back-to-back fantasy performances of 26+ and gets a matchup tonight against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that is giving up by far the most fantasy points to the shooting guard position in their last 5 games (52.3). Both Tyreke Evans and Garrett Temple will be sitting for the Kings tonight as well, so it looks like McLemore will have even more opportunities to continue his hot streak at what’s almost a minimum price tag.

Maurice Harkless ($4,000) – Evan Turner returned to the rotation 2 weeks ago, and Harkless has seen a decrease in both minutes and usage ever since. No one really thought twice about it in the DFS community, though, because Harkless had already had a few disappointing performances right before Turner had come back. We hadn’t really seen a glimmer of hope for Moe in weeks until Thursday night against the Rockets. In that game he exploded for 34.2 fantasy points in 32 minutes of court time, both numbers that likely indicate he’s in store for some increased run tonight. He’ll be facing the Suns, a team that has given up the 4^th most fantasy points to the small forward position in their last 5 games (44.9).

Al-Farouq Aminu ($4,800) – For starters, Aminu has been playing well over the last week, which has me debating whether or not that is enough for people to show interest in him. What I do know, however, it that there are a few more appealing options at power forward tonight, which I think others are likely to believe as well. The reason why I like Aminu tonight, though, isn’t because of his recent production, although that does play a minor roll. Phoenix is all in on their youth movement, and they’re giving guys like Marquese Chriss 30+ minutes of court time a night (if he can stay out of foul trouble). This leads me to believe the Suns will likely go small as they attempt to get their young bucks some extra time, which should have Chriss running the stretch center at certain points in the game. This is a perfect opportunity for Portland to match the size at the position by throwing Aminu on the floor, which I think they are likely to do with Nurkic out. The Suns have also given up 56.5 fantasy points a game to opposing power forwards over their last 5 contests, so Aminu is in a great position either way.

Bismack Biyombo ($4,300) – I obviously like Biyombo for the same reasons I like Vucevic tonight, Biyombo is just not a safe cash game play. He has the same matchup with the Nets that I find so appealing for all of the Magic players, but he doesn’t have the guaranteed court time the other guys do. At times, he can exceed 20 minutes of court time, which he’s done in each of his last 2 games. In those contests he’s averaging 26.4 fantasy points, which is well over value considering his price point of $4,300. If he were to have that kind of production again I would say it would be against the Brooklyn Nets, though he’s still a risky tournament play regardless, so use him at your own risk.

Cash Plays

Ish Smith ($5,300) – Smith once again gets the nod as our cash game point guard tonight as the Pistons face off with the Bucks in Milwaukee. Ish was a very popular pick last night at over 80% owned. He didn’t disappoint, either, as he put up 37.7 fantasy points in 32 minutes of action. With no increase in his price he will definitely be a popular pick again tonight if Reggie Jackson ends up sitting. Jackson is currently listed as a game time decision, but the Pistons really have no reason to push his knee injury. Keep and eye on the injury report, but if Jackson is indeed out don’t hesitate to lock Smith into your cash game lineups again.

Josh Richardson ($4,700) – Richardson has found his way into my cash game picks regularly over the past few weeks, and he’s been producing during that stretch. He’s posted 5 straight games of at least 20 fantasy points and is coming off a 28.7 fantasy point effort against the same Knicks team he faces tonight. The game on Wednesday was in New York, but the Heat will have home court advantage tonight as they welcome the Knicks to American Airlines Arena. The Knicks have given up the 9^th most fantasy points to shooting guards this season, so Richardson is in a great spot to produce tonight as he continues to fill in for the injured Dion Waiters.

Kawhi Leonard ($9,400) – Leonard had a less than spectacular effort on Wednesday against the Warriors, posting 31.9 fantasy points in his 36 minutes of court time. However, Golden State is a great defensive team, especially when it comes to containing small forwards this season. The Thunder, however, are middle-of-the-road at defending small forwards, and that is the exact matchup Kawhi will have tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena. His price dropped back down closer to $9k, and he should be a popular pick tonight as the Spurs go up against a potential playoff opponent. At $9,400 he needs 47 fantasy points to reach value, and I think he has a great shot at doing that tonight in what should be a fast-paced game.

Zach Randolph ($5,600) – Z-Bo has filled in nicely with Mark Gasol out, and he will have a another chance tonight as he should log another 30+ minutes with both Gasol and JaMychal Green sidelined. He’s posted 3 straight games of 28 fantasy points, and that’s exactly what we need from him tonight in order for him to reach value. A matchup with Dallas would generally be less than ideal for a power forward. However, Dallas is in the middle of their worst stretches against big men on the season, giving up 50.6 points a game to the power forward position over their last 5 games. Based off this, there’s no reason Randolph shouldn’t at least reach value against them. He will have another high own %, so he’s definitely a guy to consider tonight in cash games.

DeMarcus Cousins ($9,600) – This could potentially be the most looked forward to revenge game of the year. DeMarcus Cousins and the Pelicans will be welcoming the Sacramento Kings to New Orleans tonight in what should be an interesting matchup. The Pelicans should feed Boogie the ball frequently tonight as he goes up against his old team, and at under $10k this makes him very appealing. Since he left, the Kings have been struggling to contain centers, but have been ridiculously bad over their last 10 games. During that stretch they are giving up 59.1 fantasy points a game to the center position, and Boogie only need 48 to reach value. He should have no problem doing this tonight against a lackluster Kings defense and will be a very popular pick as he will be right in the middle of a highly anticipated revenge game.

GPP Plays

Isaiah Thomas ($8,500) – There’s too much value at the point guard position tonight to reach up for a star player to compliment Westbrook/Harden (whom I think most will reach up for). Because of this, higher-priced point guards like Isaiah Thomas are likely to get overlooked. The Celtics have a fantastic matchup tonight against the Orlando Magic, a team that has given up the 7^th most fantasy points to point guards on the season. Thomas and Boston are looking to hold on to the #1 seed, so they still have plenty to play for. Thomas should easily hit 40+ tonight and be a great tournament play as the Celtics roll past the Magic

Buddy Hield ($5,100) – I think so much of the attention for this game will be on DeMarcus Cousins that most will forget Buddy Hield will also be going against his old team. The Pelicans aren’t great at defending shooting guards either, as they’ve given up the 8^th most fantasy points to the position this year. Hield needs to score in the mid-20’s to reach value, but he has the potential for so much more. If he has his shot going he’ll definitely carry that 40+ fantasy point upside he showed us just last Friday, and I think he is a great GPP play because of it.

Michael Beasley ($5,200) – Beasley went down with what looked like a gruesome knee injury in late February. It seemed it would be season ending, but he only needed 17 games to recover. Normally, I would not target a guy in his first game coming off an injury. However, Malcolm Brogdon has already been ruled out for tonight, and it seems logical Beasley would crack the starting lineup as Antetokounmpo shifts over to the starting point guard position. His price is basically what it was before his injury, so there’s a bit of risk with him tonight due to the fact we don’t know what kind of production he will have against Detroit. However, it does help that the Pistons have given up the most fantasy points in the league to small forwards over their last 10 games (49.4).

Skal Labissiere ($4,300) – Labissiere did not have a good outing the last time he was in our GPP plays, but he’s essentially been the center of the King’s youth movement and is only $4,300, so I love him in tournaments. He’s coming off a game against Utah where he was actually able to put up 24.4 fantasy points. He reached value in that tough game, and will another tough matchup again tonight as he goes up against Anthony Davis and the Pelicans. New Orleans is actually in the bottom half of the league at stopping opposing power forwards, though, so don’t be afraid to roll with Skal tonight. Also, as I previously mentioned, people will probably have their attention on Bookie in this game, so I think there’s a chance some good plays go unnoticed. Skal is definitely one of those plays and should have a low ownership in tournaments.

Myles Turner ($6,500) – I really like watching this kid play, although he is a little inconsistent. He also draws a matchup against a tough Raptors squad tonight, so I don’t necessarily think anyone is going to be jumping at the thought of having him in their lineups. However, I think he can easily overpower Jonas Valanciunas and the Raptors. His minutes are definitely there at 30+, so it’s just about him staying out of foul trouble. Also, he should continue to see a slight increase in court time as well with Al Jefferson out. He’ll need 30-35 to reach value, which I think he has a really good chance of doing tonight against the Raptors.

Cash Plays

Ish Smith ($5,300) – Smith has seen 30+ minutes in each of his 2 games as he’s filled in for the injured Reggie Jackson. Jackson will be inactive again on Thursday with a knee injury, which once again opens the door for Smith to get some increased run. In his last 2 games he’s put up 30.7 and 29.6 fantasy points, respectively. Brooklyn has given up the 2^nd most fantasy points to point guards this season (52.3 a game), so Smith is in a great position to reach value again tonight.

James Harden ($12,400) – Houston is essentially locked in at the 3^rd seed with the teams on either side of them 6 games away in the standings. This means the Rockets technically don’t have anything to play for, but James Harden does. The fantasy star is right in the middle of one of the most talked about MVP races in a while. With the Rockets having no incentive to win, Harden is free to let the MVP talk take the forefront of his mind. I think that is what will happen tonight as he faces off with the Trail Blazers in a fantastic matchup. Not only does this game have the highest team total of the night (230), but Portland also doesn’t have a defender that can really compete with Harden, which is evident in the fact that they’ve given up 47.7 fantasy points a game to the point guard position all season. Harden will easily exceed that number en route to what I believe will easily be a 60+ fantasy point effort.

Andrew Wiggins ($7,000) – This may be a surprising cash game pick to some, but Wiggins has absolutely lit the Lakers up this year. In the 2 games against them he’s averaging 41.5 points to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Wiggins entire fantasy game revolves around scoring, not necessarily the other stat-stuffing numbers that sometimes play a roll in DFS. But he’s proven he can score on the Lakers, so he’s really a great play tonight in all formats. Also, Los Angeles has given up the 2^nd most fantasy points to small forwards in their last 10 games (46.9), and a meeting with Wiggin’s is more than likely not the solution to their problem.

Grogui Dieng ($5,200) – Not only does Dieng have a great matchup against the Lakers tonight, but he’s also been playing well as of late, making him a great cash game play for Thursday’s slate. He’s put up 30+ fantasy points in each of his last 3 games and will be facing a Lakers defense that gives up 48.8 fantasy points to the power forward position per game, which is the most in the NBA. At only $5,200 he only needs 26 fantasy points to reach value, which he should easily be able to do at the Target Center.

Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,600) – I’m going to finish my Timberwolves stack with Karl-Anthony Towns. I think him and Dieng make for a great pairing tonight against that weak Lakers front court, who have given up a lot of fantasy points to the center position (52.2 a game). Towns would need at least 50 to reach value tonight, a number he’s hit twice in his last 3 games. As scary as his price may be, his matchup is just really too good to pass up. He’ll be one of the higher owned stars on the slate and is definitely worth reaching up for at the center position.

GPP Plays

Jeremy Lin ($5,900) – Jeremy Lin is flying under the radar tonight despite a great matchup with the Pistons, a team has given up the 10^th most fantasy points to points guards this season. He has also been playing well recently, posting 30+ fantasy points in 4 of his last 7 full games. He’s an under $6k point guard to consider tonight as he heads to The Palace and is a sneaky play as he’ll fall in popularity behind guys like Ricky Rubio and Ish Smith.

Lou Williams ($4,600) – James Harden has come out and said his wrist injury is actually limiting what he can do on the court. Because of this, plugging Lou Williams into your GPP lineup at only $4,600 could be very beneficial. The veteran is a very inconsistent fantasy player, posting a low of 9.4 and a high of 39.6 in his last 3 games. However, there’s reason to believe that Harden’s injury and the Rocket’s lock in the 3^rd seed could give William’s some more minutes tonight against the Trail Blazers, who will be coming out highly motivated and looking to hold onto their 8^th seed spot in the West.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($4,900) – Another Nets player that should get overlooked tonight is Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. The small forward has been as consistent as you can get, posting 4 straight games of 30+ fantasy points (31.2, 32.4, 32.1, 31.4). There’s no reason to think his hot streak will end tonight, especially when you consider the fact that he’ll be facing a Pistons team that has given up the most fantasy points in the league to the small forward position over their last 5 games (50 FP). If he can manage to hit 30+ again he’ll hit 6x value for the 5^th straight game.

Kevin Love ($7,400) – I haven’t heard a lot of news on Kevin Love for tonight’s game against the Bulls, which leads me to believe he’s going to be a solid tournament play with low ownership. Chicago has been terrible containing power forwards over their last 5 games, giving up an average of 49.5 fantasy points to the position during that stretch. There’s really no reason Love shouldn’t reach value tonight against them and is a great play at $7.4k.

Tristan Thompson ($4,900) – I’m going to stay in Cleveland for my GPP center pick and go with Tristan Thompson of the Cavaliers. Though he’s had a rough couple weeks fantasy wise, I love him tonight as he goes up against Robin Lopez and the Chicago Bulls. Chicago is generally good at defending centers, but nobody picks Thompson for his offensive production. They do, however, play him for his rebounding ability, and lucky for us, Chicago has been having a difficult time grabbing boards over their last few games. They’ve been allowing 12 offensive rebounds a game, which is far more than their season average. In my opinion, the best part of Thompson’s game is that he can crash the offensive glass. He should be able to do this tonight when the Cavs take on the Bulls at the United Center.

Cash Plays

T.J. McConnell ($5,500) – Sergio Rodriguez will sit out again tonight as the 76ers take on Atlanta at home, a matchup that is expected to be one of the higher-paced games of the night. With Rodriguez out last night, McConnell was able to log 35 minutes of court time and put up 30.4 fantasy points. Any night he’s a sure lock for 30+ minutes I like rolling with McConnell because of his ability to stuff the stat sheet. It also doesn’t hurt that he’ll be going up against one of the worst, if not the worst, defensive starting point guards in the entire league, Dennis Schroder. His awful defensive play shows in the number of fantasy points the Hawks have given up to opposing point guards over their last 10 games (52.6 which is good for 4^th worst in the league during that stretch).

Josh Richardson ($4,600) – Josh Richardson has been a cash game pick of mine frequently over the couple week as Dion Waiters has sat out with a sprained left ankle. Waiters is out again tonight, meaning Richardson will see another 30+ minutes as he eats up a majority of the Heat’s shooting guard minutes. He hasn’t done anything too spectacular over the last few games, but he also hasn’t been bad. He’s put up 20+ fantasy points in each of his last 4 games and draws a good matchup against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. New York has given up the 11^th most fantasy points to shooting guards this year (41.8), so Richardson is in a great position to at least reach value tonight against them.

Kawhi Leonard ($9,800) – Kawhi’s price went up a bit after his last game, but honestly I couldn’t care less. The Spurs are in the middle of chasing the still Durant-less Warriors for the #1 seed in the Western Conference, and they get a matchup against them tonight at the AT&T Center. The Warriors have scored the most points in the league this year, so it’s reasonable to assume the Spurs will be playing at an increased pace and will have a few extra possessions tonight in order to stay with them. Kawhi is still priced below $10k as well, so he doesn’t even need 50 tonight to reach value. Although, I think he should get at least that much as San Antonio comes out highly motivated in a game that has big playoff implications.

Ersan Ilyasova ($4,800) – Ilyasova had another great game last night filling in for the injured Paul Millsap, putting up 33.9 fantasy points in 33 minutes of action. The Hawks have another great matchup tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that traded Ilyasova away in mid-February, so we could be in store for a good revenge game. The minutes will definitely be there for him, and he only needs 24 fantasy points to reach value. He should definitely be able to do this against a 76ers team that is giving up 48.5 fantasy points to opposing power forwards in their last 10 games.

Dwight Howard ($7,200) – As bad as the Sixers are against power forwards, they’re even worse against centers. Not only are they last in the league in total fantasy points given up to the position, but over their last 10 games they are giving up a ridiculous amount (60.9) to the position. With Millsap out, Howard has stepped up for Atlanta on both ends of the court. The offense has actually been running through him at times, and it shows in his fantasy production. He’s posted at least 31 fantasy points in each game without Millsap this month, and that streak should continue tonight with his fantastic matchup against an awful 76ers defense.

GPP Plays 

Kemba Walker ($7,800) – There’s a lot of depth at the point guard position tonight, which leads me to believe middle-priced guys like Kemba Walker are likely to get overlooked by many DFS players. Kemba has been playing very well recently, posting 5 straight games of 35+ fantasy points, with one of those performances being 50.3. Kemba has proven he has elite upside considering his price point, and he will be bringing that same upside into a matchup with the Toronto Raptors tonight at the Air Canada Centre.

Rodney Hood ($3,900) – I like Hood for a couple reasons tonight. For one thing, Gordon Hayward is a game time decision. If he in unable to go, Hood will be free to take a few extra shots again tonight. He was able to put up 30.7 fantasy points in 30 minutes of action last game with Hayward out, and I believe he has a good chance to have that same kind of production tonight at just a $3,900 price tag. Luckily, the Jazz have one of the late games, so news on Hayward probably won’t be out before lock time. Either way, don’t be afraid to plug Hood in, as he draws a matchup with a tanking Sacramento team. The Kings have given up the 2^nd most fantasy points to shooting guards on the season (43.9 a game), so Hood is in a great position to do well tonight regardless if Hayward plays or not.

Jae Crowder ($6,100) – A guy that should fly under the radar tonight is Jae Crowder of the Boston Celtics. He’s been playing very well recently, posting 21+ fantasy points in 13 of his last 14 games. He offers a nice safety net for your GPP lineup, while also bringing nice upside on a nightly basis. He gets a good matchup tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks, who have given up the 6^th most fantasy points to small forwards (42.9) all season. He was able to put up 35.2 fantasy points when the 2 teams faced each other earlier in the season, and I think he should be able to hit that same number tonight at TD Garden.

Blake Griffin ($8,600) – Blake Griffin has been really awful lately, posting less than 30 fantasy points in each of his last 4 games. Because of this, he shouldn’t be on anyone’s radar tonight as the Clippers take on the Wizards at the Staples Center. However, Washington is one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to containing opposing power forwards. They allow 46.1 FP a game (on average), which means Griffin is in a great position to put his bad fantasy week behind him. At $8.6k he only needs 43 fantasy points to reach value, but obviously has upside for much more than that.

Nikola Vucevic ($8,100) – Vucevic has been playing very well lately. Luckily, he’s been playing so well that I think his price is a little higher than anyone wants to buy up for. At over $8k he does need 40+ to reach value, which seems a bit intimidating for a guy only averaging 33.64 fantasy points on the season. However, he’s averaging 42.6 over his last 5 games, and he draws a good matchup tonight against the Thunder. Oklahoma City has been giving up 49.6 fantasy points to opposing centers over their last 5 games, which is well above their season average. Vucevic should be able to keep his hot streak going when he faces off with them tonight.